MANU’S PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO AVOID SEX ABUSE (Post No.5046)

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Manu was a great genius; he thought of possible loopholes which may be used for sex abuse. He says respect your teacher’s son but don’t touch him. You can do massaging or shampooing to your aged Guru and but not to his son even if he sits in the teacher’s seat.

The amazing thing about Manu Smrti is that he knww the human psychology thoroughly and discusses it in a very refined way; not using vulgar words.

You can respect your mother and sister, but never ever sit alone with the women. He knows that one in a million can go wrong. Apart from that, sister may be cousins; mothers may be step mothers or sisters of mothers.

He talks about Guru Dakshina (Fees to Guru during convocation) and advised to do it according to one’s ability. Manu was a practical man. With the original gems of Manu Smrti lot of gem like stones are also mixed up. So one must be careful to get rid of the chaff from the grains.

Since Manu talks about Sarasvati River and not saying anting about some later customs like Sati, he must have live during the Vedic times. Later many things were added for good or bad.

In the continuation of second chapter please see the highlights:-

Showing respect to Low caste women (2-210)

Learning from Low cate people (2-241)

Treating Teacher’s son (2-209)

Spending time with women (2-215)

Students’ Hair Style (2-219)

What is good? (2-224)

Respect three people (2-225)

Manu Smrti Second Chapter (about Vedic School Students)

continued………………

2-206. This is likewise ordained as his constant behaviour towards other instructors in science, towards his relatives to whom honour is due, towards all who may restrain him from sin, or may give him salutary advice.

2-207. Towards his betters let him always behave as towards his teacher, likewise towards sons of his teacher, born by wives of equal caste, and towards the teacher’s relatives both on the side of the father and of the mother.

The son of the teacher who imparts instruction (in his father’s stead), whether younger or of equal age, or a student of the science of sacrifices or of other branches/Angas, deserves the same honour as the teacher.

DON’T TOUCH TEACHER’S SON

2-209. A student must not shampoo the limbs of his teacher’s son, nor assist him in bathing, nor eat the fragments of his food, nor wash his feet.

The wives of the teacher, who belong to the same caste, must be treated as respectfully as the teacher; but those who belong to a different caste, must be honoured by rising and salutation.

Let him not perform for a wife of his teacher (the offices of) anointing her, assisting her in the bath, shampooing her limbs, or arranging her hair.

A pupil who is full twenty years old, and knows what is becoming and unbecoming, shall not salute a young wife of his teacher (by clasping) her feet.

It is the nature of women to seduce men in this (world); for that reason the wise are never unguarded in (the company of) females.

For women are able to lead astray in (this) world not only a fool, but even a learned man, and (to make) him a slave of desire and anger.

DON’T SIT WITH WOMEN

2-215. One should not sit in a lonely place with one’s mother, sister, or daughter; for the senses are powerful, and master even a learned man.

But at his pleasure a young student may prostrate himself on the ground before the young wife of a teacher, in accordance with the rule, and say, ‘I, N. N., (worship thee, O lady).’

On returning from a journey he must clasp the feet of his teacher’s wife and daily salute her (in the manner just mentioned), remembering the duty of the virtuous.

As the man who digs with a spade (into the ground) obtains water, even so an obedient (pupil) obtains the knowledge which lies (hidden) in his teacher.

STUDENT’S HAIR STYLE

2–219. A student may either shave his head, or wear his hair in braids, or braid one lock on the crown of his head; the sun must never set or rise while he lies asleep in the village.

If the sun should rise or set while he is sleeping, be it that he offended intentionally or unintentionally, he shall fast during the next day, muttering (the Savitri).

For he who lies sleeping, while the sun sets or rises, and does not perform that penance, is tainted by great guilt.

Purified by sipping water, he shall daily worship during both twilights with a concentrated mind in a pure place, muttering the prescribed text according to the rule.

LOW CASTE MEN

2-223. If a woman or a man of low caste perform anything leading to happiness, let him diligently practise it, as well as any other permitted act in which his heart finds pleasure.

Some declare that the chief good consists in the acquisition of spiritual merit and wealth, others place it in the gratification of desire and(the acquisition of wealth, others in the acquisition of spiritual merit alone, and others say that the acquisition of wealth alone is the chief good here below; but the correct decision is that it consists of the aggregate of those three.

RESPECT THE THREE!

2-225. The teacher, the father, the mother, and an elder brother must not be treated with disrespect, especially by a Brahmana, though one be grievously offended (by them).

The teacher is the image of Brahman, the father the image of Pragipati (the lord of created beings), the mother the image of the earth, and an (elder) full brother the image of oneself.

That trouble (and pain) which the parents undergo on the birth of (their) children, cannot be compensated even in a hundred years.

Let him always do what is agreeable to those (two) and always (what may please) his teacher; when those three are pleased, he obtains all (those rewards which) austerities (yield).

Obedience towards those three is declared to be the best (form of) austerity; let him not perform other meritorious acts without their permission.

For they are declared to be the three worlds, they the three (principal) orders, they the three Vedas, and they the three sacred fires.

THREE PEOPLE= THREE FIRES

The father, forsooth, is stated to be the Garhapatya fire, the mother the Dakshinagni, but the teacher the Ahavaniya fire; this triad of fires is most venerable.

(These three fires are 3 different fire places in a Brahmin’s House; 2000 year old Tamil Sangam literature praises Brahmins as the Worshipers of Three Fires)

He who neglects not those three, even after he has become a householder, will conquer the three worlds and, radiant in body like a god, he will enjoy bliss in heaven.

By honouring his mother he gains this (nether) world, by honouring his father the middle sphere, but by obedience to his teacher the world of Brahman.

All duties have been fulfilled by him who honours those three; but to him who honours them not, all rites remain fruitless.

As long as those three live, so long let him not independently perform any other meritorious acts; let him always serve them, rejoicing to do what is agreeable and beneficial to them.

He shall inform them of everything that with their consent he may perform in thought, word, or deed for the sake of the next world.

By honouring these three all that ought to be done by man, is accomplished; that is clearly the highest duty, every other act is a subordinate duty.

He who possesses faith may receive pure learning even from a man of lower caste, the highest law even from the lowest, and an excellent wife even from a base family.

Even from poison nectar may be taken, even from a child good advice, even from a foe a lesson in good conduct, and even from an impure substance gold.

Excellent wives, learning, the knowledge of the law, the rules of purity, good advice, and various arts may be acquired from anybody.

LEARNING FROM LOW CASTE PEOPLE

2-241. It is prescribed that in times of distress a student may learn the Veda from one who is not a Brahmana; and that he shall walk behind and serve such a teacher, as long as the instruction lasts.

He who desires incomparable bliss in heaven shall not dwell during his whole life in the house of a non-Brahmanical teacher, nor with a Brahmana who does not know the whole Veda and the Angas.

But if a student)desires to pass his whole life in the teacher’s house, he must diligently serve him, until he is freed from this body.

A Brahmana who serves his teacher till the dissolution of his body, reaches forthwith the eternal mansion of Brahman.

GURU DAKSHINA (Student’s Fees)

2-245. He who knows the sacred law must not present any gift to his teacher before the Samavartana/ convocation; but when, with the permission of his teacher, he is about to take the final bath, let him procure a present for the venerable man according to his ability,

(Viz.) a field, gold, a cow, a horse, a parasol and shoes, a seat, grain, even vegetables, and thus give pleasure to his teacher.

A perpetual student must, if his teacher dies, serve his son provided he be endowed with good qualities, or his widow, or his Sapinda, in the same manner as the teacher.

Should none of these be alive, he must serve the sacred fire, standing by day and sitting during the night, and thus finish his life.

A Brahmana who thus passes his life as a student without breaking his vow, reaches (after death) the highest abode and will not be born again in this world.